Our Research Project - Using IR Temperature Sensors to Keep Buffet Line Foods at Restaurants and Cafeterias out of the Danger Zone!
Our Food– MahiMahi - caught in the ocean, transported (in ice or refrigeration) by boat to shore, transported by truck or car (in ice or refrigeration) to fish market or processing plant, taken fresh or frozen by truck or rail to grocery store or food distribution center, stored refrigerated or frozen. Bought by restaurants, school, or individual, taken to restaurant, school, or store. Stored in refrigerator or freezer. Prepared, cooked, placed on buffet line pan and taken to buffet table. COrrect temperature maintenance is really important all along the way. So is pass the food along without handling with hands or unclean tools.
Problem identification and analysis: Keeping Foods on Buffet Lines Out Of the Danger Zone Checking temperature of foods on a buffet line is important for food safety (especially for foods like fish, shrimp, etc.). Currently, employees come out and insert a temperature probe in a couple of places in the food to get the reading every hour. This uses worker time and may be forgotten or delayed. Also, there is a possibility of cross contamination because the probe might not get cleaned well enough between being stuck in different foods in different points.
To improve food safety, it would be good to be able to:
Make sure temperatures are taken regularly, even continuously
Temperature sensor doesn't touch food and possibly cause cross contamination
Save worker time
Provide constant temperature monitoring that could be seen in the kitchen
Provide an alarm in the kitchen if the temperature fell (or for cold foods rose) into the Danger Zone
Review existing solutions:
Workers go to the buffet bar with temperature sensors that are accurate for the area they sample, but the temperature probe must be manually inserted in several places and several foods. This works for getting a reading at a particular spot but not at all spots and it also increases the chance of cross contamination by the temperature sensor unless the worker is very careful to clean it between dishes. Then the worker has to manually record the temperature on a records document.
Hand-held laser sensors eliminate the cross-contamination risk but, from articles the team read, many of these sensors are not always super accurate in their readings. Also, things like plastic wrap can cause the sensors to give a false reading.
IR temperature sensors exist but none has been used for monitoring food temperature in restaurants, cafeterias, etc. because, we found out, they are very expensive ($250 to $8,000 each).
Our Solution:Attach IR temperature sensors to the top glass and metal over the buffet line that:
Constantly monitor food temperature relay the information in real time back to the kitchen and records the temperatures on a computer file
Sound an alarm or flashing light in the kitchen to let the people in the kitchen know that temperature for something was in the Danger Zone
Be easy enough and cheap enough to use without adding too much to the cost of the food
After much research, we finally (week before last) found a new Texas Instruments microcontroller, the Launchpad that can be programmed for lots of things including temperature sensing. It costs $4.80, has free software and a USB cable to connect it to a computer that will display the temperature continuously. What you have to do:
Make a lexan housing to protect it from steam
Adjust the programming for your food temperature
Get a USB extension cable. (If you knew how, you could send the signal using wireless, but we haven't figured out how to do that yet.)
Attach mounting brackets to the food buffet line.
The search for the right IR sensor We needed and got help from a lot of experts in the IR temperature sensor field!
The first, Peter Winter, Wintronics, Inc, 50 Division Ave., Millington, NJ 07946, had the perfect sensor – except it cost about $8,000. However, he gave us advice on factors to consider for our application and a contact at another sensor company.
Next Mr. Frisby at Omega.com gave us information about their OS101E series of temperature sensors, which would have worked fine and might not have been too expensive for a business, but at $195, it was too much for our project budget. http://www.omega.com/ppt/pptsc.asp?ref=OS101E&Nav=temj11
We email Vernier because we thought maybe they had an IR temperature sensor that would work with the NXT for us to use for the project. They do have an IR temperature sensor, but Mr. Sam Swartley at Vernier told us that the IR temperature sensor needed 5 v and the NXT only provides 4.3v so it wouldn’t be compatible.
Then we read about the Calex PyroUSB 2 Infrared Pyrometer.It sounded great because it came with temperature logging software and alarms as well and only needed a long USB cable for setup but it was over $600. However, Mr. Anthony Smith from Calex, not only gave us lots of info about the type of sensor we could get by with (he even phone us from the UK!), he also pointed us towards Texas instruments.
Finally, last week, we discovered a Texas Instrument IR temperature sensor that was very cheap – under $5.00 for the microcontroller-sensor part. Mr. Michael Stevens, MCU Applications, Texas Instruments, Semiconductor Technical Support, not only said it would work for our application but gave us links to the other parts we would need (also inexpensive) and free project software to try to put it all together. He even led us to an extra bonus for our project. This summer Cymbet, a company Texas Instruments sometimes partners with made their EnerChip solid state battery energy harvesting (EH) evaluation kits compatible with the Value Line LaunchPad development kit. That means that the sensor could be powered by regular cafeteria lighting and not need a power cable. That would be a cool benefit we hadn’t even thought about!
Sensors are $4.80 each, cables to alarm are about $20, and alarm light about $5.00 so you can create one whole sensor unit for under $30.00 – plus you won’t have ongoing electric power costs!
Innovation: Using wireless technology and IR sensors to take ongoing real-time (every 3 seconds) readings and cause an alarm (or light) to go off in the kitchen if the temperature hits the "Danger Zone". That means if it drops below ( 135 degrees for hot) or rises above (41 degrees for cold) the required temperature. Another good thing about our solution is that there is no risk of cross contamination from taking the temperature. Also the sensors can be moved but can also stay in the same place as long as the buffet hot and cold items are rearranged. That means you can be sure that plastic film and stuff like that won't be in the way or accidentally get 'seen" by the sensor and give a bad temperature reading. Interesting note: Mr. Stevens said that TI was currently limiting the purchase of Launchpads to three per customer, but several teachers had tried to order 20 or even 100 to use in their classrooms because you can use the microcontroller for other inventions.
Implementation: What we used:
Launchpad microprocessor - $4.80, includes USB cable and shipping
Software – Free download from Texas Instruments
Computer
Lexan and epoxy to make housing for the Launchpad – about $10.00
USB extension cable, cost depends on how far you have to go to kitchen
Optional alarm light - $5.00
Link to wiki and video
Launchpad microprocessor comes with the USB cable you need and free software. There is also a wiki that gives you lots of information about setting it up. There's also a great video a guy at Texas Instruments did that helps you set it up step by step. Sensors are $4.80 each, cables to alarm are about $20, and alarm light about $5.00 so you can create one whole sensor unit for under $30.00 – plus you won’t have ongoing electric power costs!
Presentation: Danger Zone song?
Creativity:
Sharing:
We have shared our project with: Three food managers who had not thought of our solution before and said it was a very good idea. Two we shared with through email, one we met with. TO Do Three science teachers Students School administrators Grocery store manager Team wiki Project video Video chat with Tennessee FLL team? Who else can we share with? Email video to your friends and family!
Books, Periodicals, Research Papers Jeff Potter. Cooking for Geeks: Real Science, Great Hacks, and Good Food. O'Reilly. This book had lots of good food safety info as well as fun recipes. Theory and Practice of Radiation Thermometery. DeWitt and Nutter.. 1988. This book was way too hard for us.
Experts
Michael Stevens, MCU Applications, Semiconductor Technical Support, Texas Instruments. Mr. Stevens was super helpful and provided us lots of information and links to a video and wiki to help use with our solution using the TI Launchpad. Peter Winter, engineer for Wintronics, INC, Millington, NJ (answered our emailed questions) Alex Andors, Application Engineer for Instrumart, South Burlington, VT (provided advice and specifications about Exergen Micro IRt/c Sensors) Dr. Paul Arnold, Chair, Department of Science, Young Harris College, Young Harris, GA.
Katarzyna Garmilla, Director Food Services for Pace Academy, Sage Dining Services.
Greg Greenbaum, President of CentraArchy Management Company (Taavern at Phipps Plaza, Joey D's, New York Prime, and other Atlanta restaurants)
Allen Clark, General Manager, Sodexo Young Harris Dining
Larry Ivens, 7th grade Science Teacher Emily Camp, 8th grade Science Teacher Lisa DuBovy, 6th Grade Science Teacher
Other Info
Cymbet EnerChip Energy Harvesting Kits Support TI MSP430™ MCU LaunchPad Development Kit
Combination enables easy energy harvesting experimentation
June 06, 2011 http://www.cymbet.com/about-us/press-releases/press-release-06.06.2011.php Chicago, June 6, 2011 - Cymbet Corporation today announced that their EnerChip solid state battery energy harvesting (EH) evaluation kits now support the popular Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) MSP430 Value Line LaunchPad development kit. The combination of a Cymbet EH kit and TI LaunchPad enables designers to experiment with energy harvesting technology and applications for as little as $55.00. Ambient energy can be harvested from light, motion, vibration, heat, electromagnetic and RF sources by the Cymbet EnerChip EH kits that power LaunchPad. Cymbet also is supplying an open source temperature data logging application for LaunchPad. Cymbet's EVAL-09 EnerChip EP Universal EH kit, EVAL-10 EnerChip CC Solar EH kit, EVAL-11 EnerChip CC RF Induction Charging kit, and the TI LaunchPad development kit are available now at Avnet, Digi-Key and Mouser.
Our Food– MahiMahi - caught in the ocean, transported (in ice or refrigeration) by boat to shore, transported by truck or car
(in ice or refrigeration) to fish market or processing plant, taken fresh or frozen by truck or rail to grocery store or food distribution center, stored refrigerated or frozen. Bought by restaurants, school, or individual, taken to restaurant, school, or store. Stored in refrigerator or freezer. Prepared, cooked, placed on buffet line pan and taken to buffet table. COrrect temperature maintenance is really important all along the way. So is pass the food along without handling with hands or unclean tools.
http://www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/ehs/foodsafety/foodworker/foodtemps.aspx
Problem identification and analysis:
Keeping Foods on Buffet Lines Out Of the Danger Zone
Checking temperature of foods on a buffet line is important for food safety (especially for foods like fish, shrimp, etc.). Currently, employees come out and insert a temperature probe in a couple of places in the food to get the reading every hour. This uses worker time and may be forgotten or delayed. Also, there is a possibility of cross contamination because the probe might not get cleaned well enough between being stuck in different foods in different points.
To improve food safety, it would be good to be able to:
Review existing solutions:
Our Solution: Attach IR temperature sensors to the top glass and metal over the buffet line that:
- Constantly monitor food temperature relay the information in real time back to the kitchen and records the temperatures on a computer file
- Sound an alarm or flashing light in the kitchen to let the people in the kitchen know that temperature for something was in the Danger Zone
- Be easy enough and cheap enough to use without adding too much to the cost of the food
After much research, we finally (week before last) found a new Texas Instruments microcontroller, the Launchpad that can be programmed for lots of things including temperature sensing. It costs $4.80, has free software and a USB cable to connect it to a computer that will display the temperature continuously.What you have to do:
The search for the right IR sensor
We needed and got help from a lot of experts in the IR temperature sensor field!
Sensors are $4.80 each, cables to alarm are about $20, and alarm light about $5.00 so you can create one whole sensor unit for under $30.00 – plus you won’t have ongoing electric power costs!
Innovation:
Using wireless technology and IR sensors to take ongoing real-time (every 3 seconds) readings and cause an alarm (or light) to go off in the kitchen if the temperature hits the "Danger Zone". That means if it drops below ( 135 degrees for hot) or rises above (41 degrees for cold) the required temperature. Another good thing about our solution is that there is no risk of cross contamination from taking the temperature. Also the sensors can be moved but can also stay in the same place as long as the buffet hot and cold items are rearranged. That means you can be sure that plastic film and stuff like that won't be in the way or accidentally get 'seen" by the sensor and give a bad temperature reading.
Interesting note: Mr. Stevens said that TI was currently limiting the purchase of Launchpads to three per customer, but several teachers had tried to order 20 or even 100 to use in their classrooms because you can use the microcontroller for other inventions.
Implementation:
What we used:
Launchpad microprocessor comes with the USB cable you need and free software. There is also a wiki that gives you lots of information about setting it up. There's also a great video a guy at Texas Instruments did that helps you set it up step by step.
Sensors are $4.80 each, cables to alarm are about $20, and alarm light about $5.00 so you can create one whole sensor unit for under $30.00 – plus you won’t have ongoing electric power costs!
Presentation:
Danger Zone song?
Creativity:
Sharing:
We have shared our project with:
Three food managers who had not thought of our solution before and said it was a very good idea. Two we shared with through email, one we met with.
TO Do
Three science teachers
Students
School administrators
Grocery store manager
Team wiki
Project video
Video chat with Tennessee FLL team?
Who else can we share with? Email video to your friends and family!
Sources of information:
Websites
Safe Food handling Fact Sheets. United Sates Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service. http:www.fsis.usda.gov/fact-sheets/Basics_for_handlingFood_Safely/index.asp#3
http://www.Instrumart.com Exergen Micro IRt/c Infrared Thermocouples and, Exergen Pre-calibrated IRt/c Infrared Thermocouples
Restaurant Food Safety Guidelines, Small Business Chronical. Samllbusiness.chron.com/restaurant-food-safety-guidelines-3006.html
Food Temperature Control. Department of Environmental Health, City of Aspen. Aspen CO. www.aspenpitkin.com
Launchpad Resources
Texas Instruments MCU Knowledgebase http://www-k.ext.ti.com/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBCGI.EXE/,/
Texas Instruments Tech Support http://www-k.ext.ti.com/sc/technical_support/pic/americas.htm
Launchpad how to Sample program video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0mGoRtYbyg
Launchpad development kit link http://www.ti.com/tool/msp-exp430g2
Launchpad wiki http://processors.wiki.ti.com/index.php/MSP430_LaunchPad_%28MSP-EXP430G2
Books, Periodicals, Research Papers
Jeff Potter. Cooking for Geeks: Real Science, Great Hacks, and Good Food. O'Reilly. This book had lots of good food safety info as well as fun recipes.
Theory and Practice of Radiation Thermometery. DeWitt and Nutter.. 1988. This book was way too hard for us.
Experts
Michael Stevens, MCU Applications, Semiconductor Technical Support, Texas Instruments. Mr. Stevens was super helpful and provided us lots of information and links to a video and wiki to help use with our solution using the TI Launchpad.
Peter Winter, engineer for Wintronics, INC, Millington, NJ (answered our emailed questions)
Alex Andors, Application Engineer for Instrumart, South Burlington, VT (provided advice and specifications about Exergen Micro IRt/c Sensors)
Dr. Paul Arnold, Chair, Department of Science, Young Harris College, Young Harris, GA.
Katarzyna Garmilla, Director Food Services for Pace Academy, Sage Dining Services.
Greg Greenbaum, President of CentraArchy Management Company (Taavern at Phipps Plaza, Joey D's, New York Prime, and other Atlanta restaurants)
Allen Clark, General Manager, Sodexo Young Harris Dining
Larry Ivens, 7th grade Science Teacher
Emily Camp, 8th grade Science Teacher
Lisa DuBovy, 6th Grade Science Teacher
Other Info
Cymbet EnerChip Energy Harvesting Kits Support TI MSP430™ MCU LaunchPad Development Kit
- EnerChips http://www.cymbet.com/
Combination enables easy energy harvesting experimentationJune 06, 2011
http://www.cymbet.com/about-us/press-releases/press-release-06.06.2011.php
Chicago, June 6, 2011 - Cymbet Corporation today announced that their EnerChip solid state battery energy harvesting (EH) evaluation kits now support the popular Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) MSP430 Value Line LaunchPad development kit. The combination of a Cymbet EH kit and TI LaunchPad enables designers to experiment with energy harvesting technology and applications for as little as $55.00. Ambient energy can be harvested from light, motion, vibration, heat, electromagnetic and RF sources by the Cymbet EnerChip EH kits that power LaunchPad. Cymbet also is supplying an open source temperature data logging application for LaunchPad. Cymbet's EVAL-09 EnerChip EP Universal EH kit, EVAL-10 EnerChip CC Solar EH kit, EVAL-11 EnerChip CC RF Induction Charging kit, and the TI LaunchPad development kit are available now at Avnet, Digi-Key and Mouser.